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Finding Suburbia in the Census

Author

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  • Todd Gardner

Abstract

This study introduces a methodology that goes beyond the urban/rural dichotomy to classify areas into detailed settlement types: urban cores, suburbs, exurbs, outlying towns, and rural areas. Utilizing a database that provides housing unit estimates for census tracts as defined in 2010 for all decennial census years from 1940 to 2020, this research enables a longitudinal analysis of urban spatial expansion. By maintaining consistent geography across time, the methodology described in this paper emphasizes the era of development, as well as proximity to large urban centers. This broadly applicable methodology provides a framework for comparing the evolution of urban landscapes over a significant historical period, revealing trends in the transformation of territory from rural to urban, as well as associated suburbanization and exurban growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd Gardner, 2025. "Finding Suburbia in the Census," Working Papers 25-40, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:25-40
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2025/adrm/ces/CES-WP-25-40.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2025
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